


Fifth Time's the Charm

by Rydyr



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-23
Updated: 2013-09-23
Packaged: 2017-12-27 09:37:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/977245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rydyr/pseuds/Rydyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John's at a date. Will she show up? Has she ever shown up?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fifth Time's the Charm

**Author's Note:**

> First story, a really short Sadstuck piece. What a way to enter a fandom!

John could hear the murmur of other patrons around him, the clink of utensils on plates, and in the background, the clatter and clang of the kitchen staff. Outside, the neon sign blinked in the dim night air, advertising John’s favorite Italian restaurant. He smiled, briefly reliving memories of the times him and his father would come here for an impromptu dinner. His dad would write really cheesy names on the checks and hand them to the waitress with a completely straight face. Meanwhile, John had to fight his hardest in order to not laugh and blow the whole thing. The number of times he had been Ben Dover…..

John shook off the alluring haze of this particular fog of memories. He could come back here and remember his father at another time. Across the table from him, the seat stood conspicuously empty. The candles flickered in their wickers, wax burning low. John had already been waiting for around forty five minutes, and he had fended off the waiter’s insinuations that “perhaps sir would like to move to a table for one” several times. He assured the staff that she was always late, but to never fear, she would be here, given enough time. They walked away, and John could hear them muttering that she would never show. 

He pretended not to notice.

After a few more minutes of drumming his fingers and whistling the tune from A-Team, his phone buzzed in his pocket. A smile flicked across his face as a few seconds of Epic Sax Man blared through the air, startling the other diners. He flipped open his phone.

turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB]

TG: yo john  
TG: you okay  
EB: yeah dave i’m fine!  
TG: how long have you been sitting in that godforsaken restaurant  
TG: if you can even call it that  
TG: feeding place for the fucking italian pigs  
TG: oink oink you porky italian motherfuckers  
EB: hey man this place rules!  
EB: you don’t even know how great it is  
TG: whatever man thats beside the point  
TG: get outta there  
EB: i’ve only been here for about an hour and a half!  
TG: dude  
TG: an hour and a fucking half  
TG: im sure the waiters are pissed off that youre holding two spots that can be used for other swine  
TG: whoops i mean diners  
TG: seriously just get out of there

John looked up and around the room. If she were to show up, she would have by now. 

EB: oh well. there’s always next time!

He signaled to the waiter for his check, who eagerly brought over the bill for a couple waters and a small appetizer. He put down a twenty, more than generous with his tip. John knew he had been a complete obstruction to the staff. He threw on his green jacket and walked out the door, murmuring a small good bye to the greeter. She didn’t respond, having apparently heard the news that he was a terrible patron. Outside, a light drizzle had begun to fall.

TG: man you gotta stop this

John walked away from the establishment, taking his time. The raindrops collected on his glasses, dripping off his frames. He hunched his shoulders, trying his best to keep his phone dry, even though his thoughts were a million miles away.

TG: you cant keep doing this to yourself

He could still remember asking her out to the date. The color of her dress. The table they had sat at in the high school cafeteria. The look in her eye as he worked up the courage to ask her out. The smile on his own face when she said yes.

TG: its been five years bro

He could still remember waiting there the first time. Texting her as the night wore on. Not getting any responses, and growing worried. Seeing the lights flash by outside the restaurant. Not making the connection.

TG: she isnt coming back

The phone slipped from John’s numb fingers, cracking against the wet concrete. He didn’t notice. Tears streamed down his face and mingled with stray raindrops as he stood on the sidewalk, alone in the rain. 

John had gone home that night after two hours, upset and angry at her. He thought that he merited more than being stood up. It wasn’t until the morning that he discovered the news over breakfast.

“Tragic Accident at Intersection; One Killed.”

He refused to believe it. The body at the service was so mangled, so twisted; he could almost imagine that it wasn’t his girlfriend being lowered into the ground. He avoided the memorial for her at the school, never once looking at it.

“She’s gone. She’s gone forever.” He whispered, tears flowing down his cheeks. “Nothing I do can bring her back.”

He knelt to pick up his phone. When he dropped it, it had returned to his home screen, which had spiderwebbed in the crash. Spiderwebbed, he thought. Appropriate enough. Her last message to him filled the screen, as it had for the last five years.

From: Vriska Serket

See you tonight, John! I can’t wait! ::::)

**Author's Note:**

> Any feedback you could leave would be greatly appreciated. That way, I can know if anybody wants to hear more of this from me. Thanks for reading!


End file.
